Thursday, March 11, 2010

My Daddy's article

My Daddy wrote an article on meeting me. Thanks Daddy. Happy anniversary to you and Mummy for today!

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Despite a trouble-free pregnancy, we experienced every potential parent’s worst nightmare – our baby daughter was born sleeping – in December 2008. Like all expectant parents, we had walked into the hospital full of hope and excitement. Only hours later did this feeling turn to absolute despair and desperation. We had spent the previous 32 weeks reading manuals and stories on how to be a good parent & how to raise a child ... there was no manual preparing us for this tragic outcome. In fact we had spent our entire life preparing to become a parent.

Psychologists, doctors, mid-wives, family & friends tried to offer condolences but their efforts were futile. We felt like the world had collapsed and that even the walls in the hospital room were starting to cave in. What do we do now? What do we do in the future when it had all revolved around one thing ... and which had now been taken away from us so cruelly.

They say that life is full of defining moments. Moments that you remember in time as being significant. Sometimes life-changing. That’s what it felt when we were presented with a bear from Bears of Hope Pregnancy & Infant Support on day three. A well of emotion instantly came over us. It was the first time that we felt a sense of happiness mixed in with all the sadness. The next day we had to take the hardest walk that you could possibly imagine – the one of leaving a hospital with empty arms – but we were not going to have them empty because our bear, who we called “Bluey”, was going to be with us every step of the way.

Here was an organisation that we had never met but showed that they cared for us with such a thoughtful gift. An organisation who we felt understood the pain of what we were going through ... one mother helping out another mother is what I remember as being the motto. Bluey would be the a lead act to quality support that has followed. A lifetime of support.

Bluey has become part of the family. We take him everywhere – from the pub and on holidays. Bluey can never replace Sophie but he gave us hope and has inspired us to help others who have had the same experience. He is the best cuddler ever especially when you are feeling sad. We wish we never had to meet him but glad in a way that we did because of the wonderful people that we have met as a result.

When we said goodbye, we promised our daughter that we would make a difference. We thank you for making a difference.